While Nintendo and other bandwagon stocks have soared amid the “Pokemon Go” sensation, this so-called Pokenomics rally may prove as virtual as the monsters in the game.
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An app that began as an April Fools joke has become a worldwide phenomenon, achieving more than 15 million downloads in the space of a week, and an estimated $1.6 million daily in revenues. Needless to say, Pokemon GO was bound to be a wildly popular game right out of the gate even before it started drumming up loads of hype.
Ross Penstone-Smith, who is policy adviser at ABI said: “Playing Pokemon Go shouldn’t mean letting go of your senses”.
And enthusiastic fans of the free-to-play Niantic-developed game have already set up a Facebook group dedicated to helping others find hotspots for rare Pokemon. Now “Pokemon Go” is being hailed in many circles as the long-awaited savior lifting its shares.
Yesterday, the game was released in Germany, suggesting that Pokemon GO would be taking over Europe following the enormous success of its initial launch in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In its current form, Pokemon GO allows players to explore the vast reaches of their community and beyond to search for, capture, and collect all different types of Pokemon.
Niantic previously monetized portals on Pokemon Go’s precursor game, a sci-fi app dubbed Ingress. The app only accesses a player’s User ID and email address, the company said. Another missing feature which is pretty huge in the regular Pokemon games is trading.
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However, how do you know which Pokemon to look for? This makes for a flawless opportunity to trade with other players. The Pokemon copyrights are held by Pokemon Co. rather than Nintendo. That way, you never have to stop playing! “There hasn’t been a geolocation social platform that can lure so many people all at once”. When you get close enough to a Pokémon, you can click on it to engage them. Features like a way for trainers to interact with each other in the game, perhaps through chat if they wanted to set up a meeting point, or possibly a friends list that would allow you to see which of them were now playing. The app also offers malls and retailers, many of which are struggling due to competition from e-commerce and falling foot traffic, a glimpse at how technology could help them attract customers.
